Concert
    MAY 10—Aspinwall Presbyterian Church, 299 Center Ave., Aspinwall, will host the Freya String Quartet in Concert at 7 p.m. This is the final concert in the 2012-2013 Aspinwall Presbyterian Performing Arts Series. This is free and open. For more information, call 412-781-2884.
Celebration Luncheon/
Spring Revival
    MAY 11—St. James AME Church, 444 Lincoln Ave., East Liberty, will host its Women Celebration Luncheon at 2 p.m. Also, May 14-17, at 7 p.m. there will be the Kingdom 1st Spring Revival at 7 p.m. The four-day will feature Rev. Dr. William Curtis, Rev. Dr. Darryl Canady, Rev. Michael Bell Jr., and a special guest. For more information, call 412-441-9706 or visit www.stjamesamepgh.org.
Gospel Concert
    MAY 11—The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir will host “O Sing Unto the Lord A New Song” at 4 p.m. at East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty.  This will be a tribute to mothers, featuring Dr. Edward Moore, organist and director of Worship at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. For more information, visit www.pittsburghgospelchoir.org.
Mother’s Day Program
    MAY 12—The Braddock Community Male Chorus will host a Mother’s Day Program at 4 p.m. at Watts Community Center, 736 Washington St., Braddock. Prizes will be given to the women with the best hats. For more information, call Gerald Smith at 412-818-4116.
Women’s Conference
    MAY 17—Triedstone Baptist Church, 18 Harriet St., Rankin, will host its Women’s Conference. The theme is “Women Walking in Faith Weekend.” The conference, which will run through May 19, will feature guest preachers Rev. Linda Oliver, Rev. Nichele Nelson, Rev. Marilyn Black and more. Women’s Sunday will be held on May 19 at 11 a.m. with guest preacher Rev. Helen Jackson and at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Brenda Gregg. For more information, call 412-271-3000.
Women’s Day Celebration
    MAY 18—Antioch Baptist Church, 332 Elizabeth St., Sewickley, will host their annual Women’s Day Celebration. The two-day event will include the “What It Takes to be Fit for the Kingdom” workshop, several guests speakers and a guest soloist. On May 19 at 10:45 a.m. there will be Morning Worship Service will feature guest speaker Rev. Wanda Sawyer-Flipping. For more information, call 412-741-7688 or visit www.antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org.
Church Anniversary
    MAY 19—Carrone Baptist Church, 7119 Frankstown Ave., Homewood, will host its 128th Church Anniversary Celebration at 10:45 a.m. Minister Charles Collier will be the guest speaker. There will also be an Anniversary Concert featuring Voices for Christ at 3:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call 412-687-1819.
Women’s Brunch
    MAY 25—The SHOUT (Sisters Hanging Out United in Truth) Women’s Ministry of Union Baptist Church of Swissvale, 2117 Collingwood Ave., Swissvale, will host a Women’s Brunch from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Every fourth Saturday of the month, women will come together for food, fun and fellowship to praise the Lord and hear a Word from a woman of faith. For more information, call Synthia Brown at 412-466-1150.
    (To have items listed on the Church Circuit, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)

MANY TALENTS—Dancer, photographer, artist, teacher, businesswoman Erin Perry shows off some of her talent. Here, front, left, she performs an African Dance at the August Wilson Center. (Photos by Gail Manker)

African dancer, photographer, teaching artist, executive director, mother and fiancee are all words that describe Erin Perry.
“I’ve always recognized the need to help people be well. I’m a vessel of the Creator and I want to do his work,” said Perry, a 38-year-old mother of two sons, Zosha and Ziah. She grew up in Wilkinsburg and makes her home in Forest Hills.
Perry does the Creator’s work on various fronts.
Since 2011, she has served as executive director of the Legacy Arts Project.
Perry began her journey with the Legacy Arts Project as a dancer in 2006, and as executive director, she works to strengthen the group of seven dancers and six drummers.

“We are trying to preserve the history and traditions of African art as presented throughout the Diaspora. We provide services—African drumming, African dancing and spoken words for adults and children,” Perry said.
Perry became enamored with African dance after experiencing African drumming.
“The first time I heard the drums, I connected with it deep in my soul. I had a connection with the culture and I knew my mind was awakened,” she said.
With the help of her friend and mentor Linda “Imani” Barrett, founder and former executive director of the Legacy Project, Perry was able to break through her shyness and tap into her femininity to become the fluid, mesmerizing dancer she is today.
“It was a revelation for me because I was able to recognize my beauty and realize the artistry that comes before us gives us our own uniqueness,” she said.
When Barrett stepped down as executive director of the Legacy Project two years ago it was a natural choice for her to hand the reins to Perry.
“I have a sense of honor because I’m carrying this forward,” said Perry who stays in contact with Barrett often to make sure the organization is being run true to her vision.
Perry hopes to incorporate her love of photography into the work she does with the Legacy Arts Project.
“I’m trying to get funding to integrate photography and dance and to be able to travel oversees and study dance in Cuba or Brazil. I want to be able to bring that information back to the United States and the Legacy Arts Project,” she said.
In the meantime, Perry who recently graduated from the Katz Graduate School of Business with an MBA and focus on strategic leadership, works as a freelance photographer for the New Pittsburgh Courier and also takes pictures for the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, The August Wilson Center for African American Culture and the Ujamaa Collective.
“The Pittsburgh Black dance scene is in a good place right now and being able to document Pittsburgh Black history and dance is the best of both worlds. It’s literally a blessing,” Perry said. “I am a participant, a documentarian and an observer. With further collaborations, it’ll be possible for Pittsburgh to be a great part of the dance scene internationally.”
“My mission is to be able to travel the world and really experience the art and see the connection that we share,” she said.
(For more information on Perry and her work, visit www.erin­perry­photography.com or www.legacyartsproject.org.)

If you are traveling to Chicago put the Inspiring Beauty exhibit on your list of things to see.

Linda Johnson Rice, Desiree Rogers and Joy Bivins (the curator) win the prize. They are responsible for the exhibition "Inspiring Beauty" at the Chicago Historical Museum until January 5, 2014. Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of Eunice Johnson, pays homage to her mother with this presentation.

The exhibit showcases fashions from the Ebony Fashion Fair that began in 1958 and traveled America until 2009.

The show was an elegant fashion show with Black models exclusively featuring European fashions from the couture houses of top designers, like Yves St Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Pierre Cardin, Valentino and Emanuel Ungaro.

Eventually African-American designers like Patrick Kelly and Stephen Burrows were featured.

The show was always themed and introduced haute couture to Black women. It was always creative and perfectly executed.

Commentator Audrey Smaltz made the show exciting as she spoke with snazzy authority on fashion, romance and women.

The show was the brainchild and creation of the late Mrs. Eunice Johnson, wife of Mr. John Johnson. Together they built Johnson Publishing Company, home of Ebony and Jet.

Mrs. Johnson is being hailed today as a fashion pioneer, and an icon. She was a fashionetta before the word was known.   

After the reunion finale for the Real Housewives of Atlanta I thought it was high time I penned a letter to the ladies.
Needless to say I don’t miss an episode of RHOA and typically watch each one at least twice. I have watched RHOA since the first episode back when Nene wore wigs and had a big nose. How dare she refer to Sheree as “big nose Sheree” during the reunion show, she even called Kim “Wig.” Nene have we ever seen your own hair? Even now you are wearing a weave in the front and some of your own naps in the back.  Yes I said it. Did you think we missed the episode where you had your nose fixed, breast implants and your teeth fixed? You hair looked real bad when you were in Anguilla getting that massage. Why are you so hard on everyone?